Falcon Run Apartments

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Colorado's Extreme Winter Sports Take Center Stage in 2012

Posted by Larimer Associates on 12:58 PM

Tis the season…for extreme winter sports!

This winter, Colorado dishes up extreme winter sports that will literally take your breath away. From being dropped by a helicopter on top of a snowy peak, to reeling a trout out of an icy lake, to summiting an ice wall with crampons and ice axes, Colorado transforms into an extreme outdoor enthusiast's playground in the winter months. Below is a sampling of adrenaline-pumping events to watch and activities to try:

Ski and Snowboard Events and Competitions

            -- ESPN's Winter X Games, January 26-29, 2012: For an unprecedented
                11th year in a row, more than 200 ski, snowboard and snowmobile
                athletes from across the globe will land in Aspen/Snowmass to
                compete in ESPN's Winter X Games 16 on Buttermilk. All events at
                Buttermilk are FREE and open to the public. In addition to the
                action at Buttermilk, Aspen/Snowmass will host a FREE Bud Light
                Hi-Fi concert at the base of Aspen Mountain.

www.aspensnowmass.com

            -- U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships, February 8 -12, 2012:
                Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) and Mountain Sports
                International team up to bring the U.S. and World Freeskiing Tours
                to the birthplace of Big Mountain competitions. Crested Butte was
                the first in the U.S. to launch an extreme skiing contest, and
                this season marks twenty-one years. Competitors vie for the
                largest cash purse on the freeskiing circuit and coveted prizes

www.freeskiingworldtour.com

            -- The Telemark World Cup, February 11-18, 2012: The Steamboat
                Springs Winter Sports Club hosts approximately 100 international
                telemark athletes as they compete in all telemark events over
                seven days. See the world's best international telemark athletes

www.steamboat.com

Extreme Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Adventures

            -- Guided Skiing at Silverton Mountain: Silverton offers extreme and
                unique lift-served ski adventures accessing up to 1,819 acres of
                backcountry-type terrain. There are no groomed runs, no cut
                trails, just loads of nature's finest black diamond skiing in the
                country. Each guided group of eight skiers or less can expect to
                hike 5-10 minutes to ski runs although some drop straight from the

www.silvertonmountain.com

            -- Cat Skiing at Monarch Mountain: Great powder, spectacular views,
                1,000 plus acres of expert terrain, steeps, trees, cliffs, and
                bowls -- that's Monarch Mountain's snowcat terrain. Considered
                some of the best snowcat skiing in Colorado, guests enjoy
                skiing/riding in closely spaced trees, variable snow conditions
                and extremely steep slopes. Space is limited to 12 guests per day
                and the snowcat runs from the end of December through early April

www.skimonarch.com

            -- Heli Skiing with Telluride Helitrax: Telluride Helitrax operates
                in some of the highest ski terrain in North America: ranging in
                elevation from 10,000 to 13,500 feet. Telluride Helitrax is one of
                the most experienced yet personal heli-ski operations in the U.S.
                Up to twenty seats are available each day. Skiers are sorted by
                reservation groups, ability and helicopter load weight.

www.helitrax.com

Ice Climbing

            -- The 17th Annual Ouray Ice Festival, January 5-8, 2012. The Ouray
                Ice Festival is the world's premier ice climbing event. This
                annual gathering is attended by ice climbers from around the
                world, as well as industry sponsors, inspiring speakers, and the
                world's top exhibition climbers. Festival events are held in and
                around the Ouray Ice Park as well as various other venues around

www.ourayicepark.com

            -- 2012 Lake City Ice Climbing Festival, February 4, 2012: This event
                includes timed lead and top rope ice climbing events with men's
                and women's categories held at the Lake City Ice Park. Hot food
                and beverages are served on site with an apres-climb awards party

www.lakecityiceclimbs.com

        -- Jeep Ice Racing: For the past 36 years, Our Gang Ice Racing has been
            holding jeep ice races on Georgetown Lake in the charming Victorian
            town of Georgetown. On weekends in January and February, Georgetown
            Lake becomes frozen over and is transformed into a race track for
            Jeeps and other four-wheel drive vehicles. Races are separated by
            class including a beginner's class, meaning that anyone can
            participate in a race, either as a driver or spectator.

www.ourgangiceracing.com

Ice Fishing

            -- Antero Ice Fishing Contest, January 14, 2012: Get your poles, your
                bait, your sled and head to the Antero Ice Fishing Contest at
                Antero Reservoir in Park County. This contest is loaded with
                excitement, adventure and great prizes.

www.antero-icefishing-contest.com

            -- Leadville/Twin Lakes Ice Fishing Derby, February 18-19, 2012: This
                is an annual Leadville Rod & Gun Club event at Twin Lakes with
                prizes by type of fish. Categories include mackinaw, brown trout,
                rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and kokanee salmon.

www.visitleadvilleco.com

Merry Christmas!

Posted by Larimer Associates on 6:47 PM

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays from Falcon Run Apartments!

Kids 17 and Under Get Free Admission to Denver Museum of Art, Through Jan. 1

Posted by Larimer Associates on 12:04 PM

Looking for a fun weekend activity? Take your kids to the Denver Museum of Art!

Have a great weekend, Denver! Starting tomorrow, kids 17 and younger get free general admission through January 1 to enjoy our Winter Break: Magic of China programming.

Explore the beauty of China throughout the museum. Watch dramatic dance and martial arts performances, learn secrets of the silkworm, and watch a calligraphy demonstration. This programming complements the exhibitions Xu Beihong: Pioneer of Modern Chinese Painting and Threads of Heaven: Silken Legacy of China's Last Dynasty, both on view through January 29, 2012.

Also happening at the DAM:

-Demo & Do with large format calligraphy at 10 am Saturday

-Our Lady of Guadalupe tours in Spanish at 2 pm Sundays through January 1

-Kite-making and silk worm exploration next week

-Many more free activities for the kiddos (see a list here: http://ow.ly/81WNy)

-Robert Adams and Dirty Pictures exhibitions' final weeks

-Xu Beihong and Threads of Heaven exhibitions continue on view

-Thousands of gifts in the Museum Shop

See more at http://www.denverartmuseum.org/home

Don’t Miss Breakfast with Santa Tomorrow!

Posted by Larimer Associates on 11:31 AM

Don’t miss breakfast with Santa tomorrow at the Malley Center (3380 South Lincoln Street) There will be seatings at 8am and 9am. Enjoy breakfast, featuring all-you-can-eat pancakes, music, gifts and Santa Claus himself! Purchase tickets in advance at the Malley Center ($4 for kids 2 to 10; children under age 2 are free; $5 for adults;).

Final year for Elati St. couple’s holiday display

Posted by Larimer Associates on 3:13 PM

Thank you Dick and Alice for your labor of love! We will miss your beautiful decorations.

This is the final season Dick and Alice Kloewer will decorate their home at 4990 S. Elati St. for the holidays.

The Kloewers and their children made the announcement at the Nov. 21 Englewood City Council meeting. Their oldest son Ken talked about how the decoration started modestly 29 years ago and grew larger each year until the display attracted local and even national attention. At the conclusion of his remarks, he presented a cake to the council with decorations including a photo of the Kloewers’ home decorated for the holidays.

Dick and Alice Kloewer agreed the decision to no longer decorate for the holidays didn’t come easy.

“We just felt it was time to no longer put up the decorations because Alice and I want to pursue some other interests like traveling during the holidays,” Dick said during a break in the meeting. “So, we decided this will be the last year we will put up the display.”

Dick said it takes about 300 hours to set up the display of decorations that are all a result of his craftsmanship.

The yard full of decorations include 80 houses with glass-front walls Dick built to protect displays from the weather. Many of the houses include moving characters, Dick made happen all the movement happen by hooking up an electric motor to a bike chain and gears.

One of the trademarks of the display is the G scale garden railroad. Dick built the landscape, buildings and bridges to scale to accommodate 1,200 feet of track that is laid out so nine different trains can run through the display at the same time.

In addition there are 143 lighted balls Dick and Alice created hung in the trees. About the only thing they didn’t create are the countless thousands of lights strung in the trees and around the house and yard.

It takes a 400 amp electrical panel with a total of 28 breakers each rated at 20 amps each. While everyone agrees it can’t be cheap to operate the displays, the Kloewers have made it their practice not to discuss the size of their electric bill during the holiday season.

The Kloewers began decorating their house for the holidays 29 years ago when their first grandchild was born.

The initial decoration was a star on the tree outside the house and gradually grew, first with lights strung on the walls of the house and a Santa on the roof. That was about the time the displays began growing as building the decorations became a hobby for Dick even before he retired from his job as a carpenter in 1997.

In an interview a few years ago about the decorations, Dick Kloewer said he had fun building all the decorations. He said sometimes he would see a scene on a card, make a drawing of it, display the drawing on plywood, cut it out, paint it and use it as part of the decorations. He said it was a big help to his decoration-building hobby when his children gave him welding equipment as a gift.

The garden railroad layout is permanent but, of course, the trains and other small items are not out there all year. But when the system is in operation, the trains that travel the track of the layout represent many different eras of railroading, from steam locomotives to modern diesel engines.. There is even a dedicated line with a cog train climbing to the garage roof. The train on one of the rail line disappears from view at times because the track makes a loop through the garage. The Kloewers’ layout was a stop on the tour when the Garden Railroad Association held its convention in Denver several years ago

The holiday display on South Elati Street has received a lot of local and national publicity which, in turn, attracted visitors from all over the metro area.

During the holiday season, families bring their children to see the display and often there are buses and limousines that come by. Many times, Dick and Alice are in the yard, greeting visitors and talking about their display.

About 7 p.m. Nov. 27 there were a steady flow of vehicles moving slowly by the house so the occupants could look at the display and about a dozen families gathered around the fences to get an up close view of the decorations.

“We brought our children to see this display and this year, we are bringing our grandchildren to see it,” Littleton resident Wendy Schwartzkopf said. “I am sad to hear the family will no longer be putting up their display. But, I thank them for all the years they have decorated for the holidays and I hope they know they have brought a lot of joy to literally thousands of people.”

In the brochure the children prepared, Alice said her favorite display is the Nativity set that was one of the original pieces and her second favorite is the Harley House because she is a doll collected. Dick’s favorite is his garden railroad.

The Kloewers are offering all their decorations for sale except the all the items associated with the garden railroad. During the holidays, there will be bid sheets available and completed sheets can be dropped in the wishing well. Bids also can be made by sending an e-mail to christmaswishbid@gmail.com. Those who win the bidding can pick up the items after Jan. 5 when the Kloewers turn off the lights for good.

However, not all the elaborate holiday decorations in the area will go away. That is because Dick and Alice’s oldest son Ron and his wife will continue to put up their holiday decorations in front of their home at 5041 S.Elati St.

Englewood Library adds eBook readers, offers book download checkout system

Posted by Larimer Associates on 11:00 AM

Exciting news for the Englewood Library!

(Autumn Murray, left, listens as Englewood Public Library director Dorothy Hargrove explains how to use the NOOK eBook reader. The library added 10 of the electronic readers, each loaded with 20 to 25 books. The devices can be checked out for up to three weeks at a time. Photo by Tom Munds)

While thousands of paper and ink books are still available, the Englewood Public Library also has technology available to electronically download books and other items to computers or other devices plus customers can check out a small, pad-sized reader called a NOOK eBook reader that contains 20 or more novels.

“The NOOK eBook reader is a new addition to our library,” library director Dorothy Hargrove told the city council at the Nov. 14 study session. “We worked with Barnes and Noble to purchase 10 of the NOOK eBooks and had each of them preloaded with 20 to 25 books.”

She said adding the ebook readers to the library was economical because it cost $2 per book to load it on the device while the average price of a hard cover book is about $15.

Five of the readers have 20 to 25 books high on the best-seller list, three are popular specific-theme books such as romance or mystery novels, and three are loaded with book club favorites.

The new service was demonstrated to members of the Englewood Library Board. Board members then voted to provide money to buy an additional five Nook Books.

The NOOK eBook readers were put into service Nov. 15 and can be checked out at the circulation desk for up to three weeks.

On Nov. 16, Hargrove said the new devices already are popular, as all 10 either are already checked out or being held for customers who reserved them.

Hargrove took time to demonstrate the NOOK eBook reader to library patron Autumn Murray.

Murray, a Littleton High School student, said she had never seen or used a device like the NOOK.

“This is pretty cool and even kinda crazy,” Murray said about the device. “It contains all those books yet it is so tiny you can put it in your purse.”

The library also added another service for readers by providing a system through a partnership with Across Colorado Digital Consortium that allows customers with valid library cards to “check out” items by downloading materials like audio books and ebooks to personal devices such as computers or iPods.

The system is simple but does require the software OverDrive Media Console for audio books and the Adobe Digital Editions software for ebooks. The two software programs are available and can be downloaded free of charge from the library website at www.englewoodpubliclibrary.org.

When the software is installed on the individual’s electronic device, the next step is to go to the library website and search for the item by subject, title, author or format.

When the desired items are located, add them to the “cart” and click on the “proceed to checkout” icon to continue.

Then, click the download button under each title to launch the software so the item is loaded onto the individual’s personal electronic device.

The downloads are for a specific lending period and disappear when the check-out period expires. However, some audio books and ebooks can be retained by copying them to a CD.

There are no late fees for downloading the items and no charge for using the service.

High winds have Colorado forest officials warning Christmas-tree cutters

Posted by Larimer Associates on 11:29 AM

If you or anyone you know plans to cut down a Christmas tree this year, please pass this on!

The iconic holiday tradition of families trekking through the Colorado forests in search of the perfect Christmas tree this year comes with an extra safety warning: beware of falling trees.

Winds upward of 100 mph toppled an uncalculated number of healthy, mature trees in the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests and Rocky Mountain National Park on Monday, closing roads, damaging property and causing the U.S. Forest Service to warn that more could come down in windy weather.

Forest managers will keep a close eye on the wind and the weather, and could close tree- cutting areas if conditions are too dangerous during holiday tree cutting scheduled through December.

"It's really based on the weather. The conditions have changed a bit with the dead trees," Forest Service spokesman John Bustos said. "The expectation is that we'll just proceed as normal, but if we get more wind activity, it may cause us to close certain areas or move them."

The Forest Service allows holiday tree cutting to thin trees and improve forest health.

"The winds change," Bustos said. "It is something you need to be prepared for no matter what."

Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch in Red Feather Lakes allows public Christmas- tree cutting Saturday through Christmas Eve.

"We're constantly looking at what trees could be a fall hazard. We're probably more aware then we've ever been, but we've been in that sort of protocol for a couple of years now," said Linda Weixelman, the resort's general manager.

The cautions, however, are not meant to deter people from participating in this seasonal tradition.

In many ways, the tree-cutting sponsors depend on prepared and aware patrons to help ensure the forest's future.

"For us, Christmas-tree cutting is a way to create a healthier forest," Weixelman said.